DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.70266#0177
EVERLASTING FIRE.
151
The earth round this place,, for more than two miles, has
this extraordinary property, that by taking up two or three
inches of the surface, and applying a live coal to it, the part
so uncovered immediately takes fire, almost before the coal
touches the earth. The flame makes the soil hot, but does
not consume it, nor affect what is near to it with any degree of
heat. It is said, that eight horses were once consumed by this
fire, being under a roof where the surface of the ground had
been turned up, and by some accident had taken flame. If a
cane, or tube of paper, be set about two inches in the ground,
closed with earth below, and the top of it touched with a live
coal, a flame will immediately issue out, without consum-
ing the tube, provided the edges be covered with clay.
Three or four of these lighted canes will boil water in a pot,
and are sometimes used to cook victuals. The flame may be
extinguished in the same manner as that of spirits of wine.
It smells sulphureous, like naptha, but is not very offensive.
Dr. James Mounsey says, there is a caravansary, where twelve
Indian priests and other devotees live, who worship the fire,
which, according to their traditions, has burnt many thou-
sand years. It is a very old vaulted building, and in its walls
xare a great many chinks, to which, if a candle be applied,
the fire catches instantaneously, and runs rapidly to where-
ver the chinks communicate; but it may be easily extin-
guished : they have hollow places in the house, fitted to
their pots, which they boil without any other fuel; and in-
stead of candles, they stick reeds into the ground. Another
astonishing thing is, they burn lime of the stones dug here-
abouts, first, making a hole in the ground, and then heap-
ing the stones on each other. This done, on applying fire
to the hollow, a flame bursts out, and is dispersed at once,
with a very great crack, through the w hole heap of stones;
and after it has continued burning for three days, the lime
is ready : but stones placed in this fire, for setting their pots
151
The earth round this place,, for more than two miles, has
this extraordinary property, that by taking up two or three
inches of the surface, and applying a live coal to it, the part
so uncovered immediately takes fire, almost before the coal
touches the earth. The flame makes the soil hot, but does
not consume it, nor affect what is near to it with any degree of
heat. It is said, that eight horses were once consumed by this
fire, being under a roof where the surface of the ground had
been turned up, and by some accident had taken flame. If a
cane, or tube of paper, be set about two inches in the ground,
closed with earth below, and the top of it touched with a live
coal, a flame will immediately issue out, without consum-
ing the tube, provided the edges be covered with clay.
Three or four of these lighted canes will boil water in a pot,
and are sometimes used to cook victuals. The flame may be
extinguished in the same manner as that of spirits of wine.
It smells sulphureous, like naptha, but is not very offensive.
Dr. James Mounsey says, there is a caravansary, where twelve
Indian priests and other devotees live, who worship the fire,
which, according to their traditions, has burnt many thou-
sand years. It is a very old vaulted building, and in its walls
xare a great many chinks, to which, if a candle be applied,
the fire catches instantaneously, and runs rapidly to where-
ver the chinks communicate; but it may be easily extin-
guished : they have hollow places in the house, fitted to
their pots, which they boil without any other fuel; and in-
stead of candles, they stick reeds into the ground. Another
astonishing thing is, they burn lime of the stones dug here-
abouts, first, making a hole in the ground, and then heap-
ing the stones on each other. This done, on applying fire
to the hollow, a flame bursts out, and is dispersed at once,
with a very great crack, through the w hole heap of stones;
and after it has continued burning for three days, the lime
is ready : but stones placed in this fire, for setting their pots